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Around the Fire
Around the Fire is a short story by Echo 1. The plot revolves around three Matoran from across Mata Nui who get caught in a blizzard in Ko-Wahi and are forced to wait out the storm in the same cave. To pass the time, they begin sharing experiences they have had with their homes' patron Toa. ''Around the Fire'' Toudo, a trapper from the ice village of Ko-Koro, frowned as he finished setting his latest Rahi trap. The season had not gone well so far. He had only caught a few measly Rahi over the last few months, causing his usual supply of protodermic currency to begin to dwindle. Toudo stood up from his trap and turned to observe the snowy, mountainous landscape of Ko-Wahi. Great mountains of rock, ice, and snow towered around him. What to most appeared to be little more than a frozen, desolate wasteland was a bountiful Rahi hunting ground to Toudo. Anywhere amongst the cold, rocky outcroppings could be an animal that was just curious or stupid enough to stumble into his trap. However, the familiar geography of Ko-Wahi was not of Toudo’s concern. The strange weather was what caught his attention. To the west, a massive storm was beginning to brew. Black clouds were beginning to roll over the mountains, casting long shadows across the landscape. The Ko-Matoran hunter prayed to Mata Nui that he could find shelter before the blizzard arrived. He grabbed his pack and headed off towards a cliff edge. With luck, he could find a crevice to wait out the storm in. He reached the cliff and quickly found a small, fairly dry cave carved into its rocky surface. He set up a small camp in the very back of the grotto, laying down his bedroll and rolling some rocks into a makeshift firepit. He pulled out a spare blanket and used it to block the entrance, preventing some of the harsher winds from blowing into his temporary home. The Ko-Matoran then grabbed a small hatchet from his backpack and went out to find a source of wood for a fire. With luck, he discovered a small dead tree not far from the cave’s entrance. He had just finished hacking down the tree and dragging it into his shelter when the storm finally arrived. Howling winds beat against Toudo’s door cover, and snow began to pile up outside. The temperature of the cave dropped significantly. The Matoran quickly chopped several logs from his tree, put them in his firepit, and grabbed a strip of metal and a rock from his pack. He struck the materials together, creating a spark which lit the logs. Soon, there was a warm, crackling fire in the center of the room. Toudo reclined against a rock and sighed. The room’s temperature became bearable, and the Matoran slowly began to fall asleep. That is, until someone entered his shelter unannounced. “Who’s there?” Toudo quickly called out, raising his hatchet. A Matoran walked into the firelight and lowered her hood, revealing a surprised expression spread across a blue Kanohi Miru. “Sorry!” she cried, not expecting the hostility. “I was hoping I could take shelter in here during the storm.” Toudo was rather surprised to find a Ga-Matoran wandering so far from her homeland to the east. “What brings a Ga-Matoran all the way to Ko-Wahi?” he inquired. “Trade,” the female Matoran said, setting her rather large pack on the ground. “I was heading for Ko-Koro to sell some goods, but this storm caught up with me and now it looks like I’m stuck here.” “What’s your name?” Toudo asked, lowering his hatchet. “Okoth,” the trader responded. “Yours?” “Toudo.” “Good to meet you,” Okoth said, taking a seat and raising her hands towards the flames to warm herself. Time passed, with little conversation filling the hours. The storm refused to let up. In fact, it seemed to be getting worse. The sheet that Toudo had hung up to block icy winds was nearly frozen solid, no more than a rigid flap blocking the cave entrance. Eventually, after Okoth had fallen asleep, another being entered the cavern. Luckily, Toudo did not feel as defensive this time. He stepped into the entrance and found a Po-Matoran walking through the entrance, brushing snow and ice from his tan Kanohi Hau. “Mata Nui, it’s cold out there,” the Matoran of Stone proclaimed, dusting some more snow from his shoulders. “Mind if I join you in here?” He then took notice of the sleeping Ga-Matoran, and sheepishly said, “Unless you two are busy…” Toudo shook his head. “No, you’re fine. Take a seat.” The Ko-Matoran then secretly prayed that he would not have to shelter any more people here. Mata Nui forbid if a Ta- or Le-Matoran were to come in here. Then things would just go all kinds of wrong. “So what have you two been up to?” the Po-Matoran asked, plopping a pack full of wood, hammers, nails, and other carpentry equipment onto the ground. Okoth woke up. “Not much,” she replied. “Our Ko-Matoran host has been rather quiet.” The Po-Matoran let out a deep laugh. “Not much more different than usual, I’d wager.” He then noticed Toudo’s calm-but-angered glare. “No offense, of course. Name’s Pekka, by the way. Po-Koro carpenter by trade. Was heading to Ko-Koro to do some work for Turaga Nuju when this storm hit.” “I’m Okoth,” Okoth said. “I got stuck here heading to Ko-Koro as well.” “Toudo,” Toudo finished. “Took shelter here before the storm hit. Now I’ve set up some sort of inn.” “Not a bad trade at all,” Pekka joked, uncorking a waterskin. He attempted to take a drink, but no water came out. He shook the skin, and then said, “The blasted thing’s frozen. How do you like that?” He tossed it near the fire to thaw it out. “Looks like we’re going to be stuck here for a while,” Okoth mumbled, hearing the harsh winds beat against the makeshift door. “Well, I didn’t bring any games to pass the time,” Pekka laughed. “Wasn’t exactly planning for weather like this.” Toudo quietly laughed at something. “What’s so funny?” the Po-Matoran carpenter asked. “Nothing,” Toudo responded. “Just remembered a blizzard a month or so ago. Caught a Kane-Ra on accident, and then Toa Kopaka got involved…” “So what happened?” Okoth asked. Toudo shook his head. “Eh, you don’t want to hear it,” he muttered. “Well, what else do we have to do?” Pekka pointed out. Toudo shrugged. The Po-Matoran had a point. He tried to remember how it began and then began his tale. Toudo’s Tale Coming soon... Characters *Toudo *Okoth *Pekka *Toa Kopaka Mata *Toa Gali Mata *Toa Pohatu Mata Trivia *''Around the Fire'' takes inspiration from Tales of the Masks, a canon BIONICLE story where the Turaga share stories of the Toa Nuva collecting their new Kanohi sets. *The title is taken from the song of the same name composed by Jeremy Soule for the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim original soundtrack. The song's medieval, inn-like theme and style offered a sort of firelight tone, providing some inspiration for the story as well.